Not Your Average Gig!

Looking for that "different" work arrangement so that you can pursue personal goals? Not Your Average Gig! has the resources and information to help you locate employment that is perfect for your "not so traditional" situation!

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Thursday

Advantage/Catch: The “job search” tab doesn’t feature jobs, but has links to websites that offer job searches, which is great, but can be time consuming. The good thing about it is that they have a job search by country and then by area, making this truly an international resource, which I really like. If you are looking for Carribian jobs, or are learning Hindi to teach in India, they have you covered. The site seems organized and consistent in its layout, which makes for easier navigating. They have a A-Z keyword search page, which I really like, and helps you to see at a glance if they can answer the questions you may have regarding your job search. The advice in the career guide is practical, but really nothing you probably don’t already know. The employment news seems up to date and there are very few ads or distractions.

Advice: If you have time, it is worth looking into the list of job search websites. The site has been around since 1994 which is impressive to me since it appears to be a “one woman shop” – she obviously knows her stuff. If you find a job on this site, drop me a line. I’d be interested in hearing your story.

Advantage/Catch: No catches that I can see. Registration is available, but not required. Once register, you have access to a “Dashboard” that automates your jobs search according to your preferences. It sends you job alerts, stores multiple resumes and you can opt in for various newsletters regarding your specific work sector. The front page has the latest on financial institutions – who’s closing, who’s among the best employers – and has a “company” search area and career tools.

Advice: I love niche sites and if you are a financial professional, this site is definitely worth registering in. My searches turned up more jobs than I could review and seemed detailed. When you sign up, let me know how it turns out for you, will you?

Cost: The site is free but mostly seems to promote publications about women in nontraditional careers. These items (posters, books and dvd) range in price from $19.95 - $95.00

Catch: Not really any catch. The site doesn't promise to get you a job, but is for educational purposes only.

Advice: This site may be a good resource if you are seeking a career change or exploring other options. It appears that there may be more earning potentional for women in nontraditional work. If you have reviewed any of the publications offered, let me know.

Catch: Before you search for jobs, you have to register and upload your resume. This seems to be industry standard. The “Work From Home” section on the Job Seeker Job down menu was only an article about working from home jobs, it does not help you find online jobs. The Job Gallery Function doesn’t seem to be working at all, and the footer of the home page says Employment911.com, 1998 – 2010 so this site may not have been updated since.

Advice: Maybe this site wouldn't be the best use of your time if you are looking for legitimate online jobs or others. I have seen recruitment sites with much better prices for resume blasting and posting. Not sure what value Employment 911 offers to match these type of prices. But if you have found a job through Employment 911 I would love to hear your experience.

Tuesday

You’ve reached the top, the ultimate in freedom! Free from the burden of ties and skirts and pantyhose – you get to telecommute!So what it’s only one day a week, you have to start somewhere.Is it easy? Of course!Is it better than going into the office? It doesn’t get any better than this!Is it practical? What a stupid question. . .

Or is it?

My first stint working from home proved to me that teleworking isn’t all it’s made out to be. Those cozy pictures of the woman working in her PJs, baby in her lap, dog at her feet and a smile as big as Texas. . .definitely a paid actress. There are many things that HAVE to be considered when working from home, and I’m going to help you out so that you don’t have to go through the trail-and-error stage that so many of us endured.

CareeRealism.com had a great article with 14 tips for Working from Home, and I am going to highlight those that I have found are especially useful:

Understand your employer’s expectations – This can’t be emphasized enough!When you have already established rapport in the office that is great – your employer is already familiar with your work ethic.But if not. . . then there is the possibility of some major misunderstandings.Be sure that you both clearly know what is expected and keep communication open.

Do all that you can to meet and exceed your employer’s expectations.

Set up a comfortable, separate space for your work area. This is vital.My first work at home job was in my bedroom and I found that I couldn’t get a good night’s rest because my job was there staring me in the face!Also, working in a busy living room or a messy kitchen doesn’t do anything toward having a “productive” state of mind.

Set boundaries with your family and friends.When you work from home, family seems to interpret this as not working at all.And that can be bad. . .real bad.Communicate well with your family regarding your type of work, work hours and what you need from them during this time “on the clock”.

Schedule daily and weekly breaks. As CareeRealism puts it “Many home workers find they spend too much time at the computer which can decrease overall productivity. Schedule breaks into your day. Take a regular lunch (at any time you want – no one is watching!) and stand up and walk around periodically.”I personally found myself working 5-10 hours non-stop.In front of a computer, that is not good for your eyes and being seated for that long is definitely not good for your body.Take a break – you deserve it!

Understand your work style.Tackle your hardest task at your mentally-best part of the day.Keep track, be organized.Or else you will end up frustrated from working hours and accomplishing nothing!

Take care of yourself.People assume that someone working from home is “pampered” but that is rarely the case.More often than not, we work twice as hard than when we are in the office.

Ok - so there you have it. Enough about what I think – what do you think? What types of challenges have you overcome working from home and what advice would you give to a newby?